lead." i now leave you in the able hands of my friend and colleague wolf blitzer who is right this minute in "the situation room." thanks very much. happening now a cnn exclusive. we're learning about a secret bomb making camp attended by foreigners in dagestan and the shadowy militant who may have influenced a visitor from boston. but would the bombing suspect tamerlan tsarnaev radicalized by a friend back home? right here in massachusetts we're looking into the mysterious man accused of brain washing him. you'll hear the vice president of the united states joe biden eloquent talking about the loss at a memorial service for a murdered police officer. and scornful of what he calls two cowardly, knock off jihadis. i'm wolf blitzer in boston.

here are the latest developments of the boston bombings. no cause of death found yet for the alleged bomber tamerlan tsarnaev. the body remains in the custody of the state's chief medical examiner. the suspect's mother says burial has been arranged at a cambridge mosque but the islamic society of boston says local imams would not be comfortable presiding. the massachusetts government says the suspects received welfare benefits when younger and the older brother's family received them through last year. the brothers were not receiving assistance at the time of the bombings. an fbi delegation at the u.s. embassy in moscow went to dagestan today as part of the bombing investigation. a rights activist there says u.s. and russian investigators talked with the suspects' parents. the surviving suspect may have told investigators the brothers were self-radicalized via the internet but authorities want to know what the older brother

tamerlan tsarnaev was doing last year in russia's volatile dagestan region. in a cnn exclusive cnn's nick payton walsh found there were ample opportunities for contact with or even training by islamic militants including one who ran a secret bomb making camp. what is the latest information you're getting? >> reporter: well the clear link between tamerlan tsarnaev and extremism in this region came on a youtube channel link to an extremist militant here. we have been learning from police here about the extensive network that particular militant ran and some of the training they carried out in the forest of this area. >> this is the dagestani militant abu dijon in a video tamerlan tsarnaev post owned his

youtube channel. russian special forces killed him in a shootout last december in dagestan and we don't know if he ever met tsarnaev. dagestani police revealed to cnn the small time militant ran training camps for bomb making that foreigners came to. police gave us images of the group training in the woods. this one explains how to mix and prepare home made explosives almost anywhere and the group's pictures suggest they learn to use a mobile phone as a detonator. the local police chief who helped hunt down abu dijon says the militant trained foreigners. >> we do not have audio or visual confirmation but we have confirmation confirming that abu dujon met with foreigners. >> reporter: what did the foreigners learn in the woods? >> translator: i can't talk about the number of foreigners but they met to exchange their experience. there are dagestanis who have

taken citizenship elsewhere who come to meet in the historical motherland whose roots are here. >> reporter: could that have included americans? >> translator: it's entirely possible but i know there were arabs and turks among them but whether americans i don't know. >> reporter: the police chief told us abu dujon was often observed coming here to the heart of the city to this mosque behind me which denies any links to extremism. it is possible though tamerlan tsarnaev last year also prayed here. >> translator: of course the mosque is their mosque where they go. our technological work gives us information that abu dujon went there, met people, and agitated. not once but many times. >> reporter: there are reports that dujon was observed at the mosque and observed meeting tsarnaev. do you know this?

>> translator: i really can't answer this. for different reasons i can't answer. you understand me? >> reporter: i should be clear here tamerlan tsarnaev and abu dujon, we can't confirm this they ever actually met but look at the kind of training abu dujon was able to provide and how useful it could have been to whoever it was that was trying to carry out the attacks in boston and bear in mind tamerlan tsarnaev was in the same city as that militant for about half of last year, wolf. >> six months plus indeed. nick as we reported earlier officials from the u.s. embassy in moscow are there right now in dagestan questioning tamerlan's parent. tell us what we know about those questions and the meetings. >> reporter: it began yesterday. the fbi and russian security service fsb involved in this

questioning of the parents. i'm sure they're trying to piece together what exactly happened in those six months and perhaps any other visits that may have occurred here by tamerlan tsarnaev. it is apparently clear at this point the russians on two occasions asked american officials for assistance or further information about tamerlan tsarnaev and the americans consider that request to be a bit too vague. there is clearly going to be more of a diplomatic spat emerging out of this but i think, clearly, the thrust of the fbi investigation is going to be trying to find out exactly from the fsb perhaps the russian security services how much more they knew about tamerlan tsarnaev and perhaps any links he may have had to militants here in dagestan, wolf. >> all right. nick, stand by for a moment. i want to drill a little deeper right now in the possible influence or training by militants in dagestan. mick is standing by but i want to bring in our national security analyst peter bergen.

what role has overseas training played in other plots and bombing plots here in the united states? >> the ones that are really significant have always involved overseas training which is why it seems somewhat impossible this was entirely domestic in the case of boston. you will recall the 1993 world trade center bombing was masterminded by an individual who trained in an al qaeda training camp in pakistan around 1990 and was also somebody who studied engineering at university which was obviously helpful. then you'll recall the failed times square bomber. tried to blow up an suv on may first, 2010. shahzad had training from a pakistani taliban but it only lasted about five days in waziristan which might account for the fact he couldn't successfully detonate the bomb in the suv. finally azazi who had planned to lo blow up several bombs in the manhattan subway in 2009 around the eighth anniversary of 9/11 also somebody trained in pakistan by al qaeda was

actually on the phone getting clarification about the exact amounts of explosive materials he would be using in his bomb plot. so it is -- we haven't seen a serious successful attack in the united states coming ut of a jihadist movement or a serious near miss that didn't have overseas training. it's not impossible that there wasn't overseas training in the boston marathon case but i think it is quite unlikely given the historical record, wolf. >> good point. let me bring back nick in dagestan. by what you're hearing on the ground, is russia looking into possible connections between this militant? we'll put a picture up. abu dujon and tamerlan tsarnaev the 26-year-old, dead, alleged bomber in boston? >> russian officials, the fsb in moscow i spoke with have no comment thon case at all. that has been the case for quite

sometime. that policeman we spoke to earlier on i put the question straight to him. he told us abu dujon went to this islamist mosque in the heart of the city several times, met other people the police considered extremists and of course we have heard from people around here it's entirely possible tamerlan tsarnaev may also have been to that mosque. we don't have concrete proof that the two men met at this point but the piece of the jigsaw are beginning to overlap at this point. it is entirely possible of course the opportunity was there. we just don't know if it was seized upon, wolf. >> so, peter, let's look ahead a little bit. the coming days. do you anticipate knowing what you know about u.s./russian relations right now? there has been some tension as we all know, that there will be full cooperation. the russians will share whatever they know with fbi and other u.s. officials who are on the

ground there? >> i think in this instance, wolf, russia has been, as you know, fighting various kinds of wars in chechnya since the 18th century. so this is very much in their wheel house. in fact, you know, in the past they've sort of wanted the united states to take a more sympathetic view of what they regard as chechen terrorism. so i would be extremely surprised if there wasn't very, very good cooperation on this issue because it is so much in both countries' interest. >> peter bergen, thanks very much. nick payton walsh on the ground in dagestan, thanks to you as well. while investigators dig into tamerlan tsarnaev's visit to dagestan, remember he was there for six months last year, could the bombing suspect have been steered to radical islam by a friend right back here in the boston area including near his home in came bridge? brian todd has been looking into this part of the story for us, a very sensitive part of the story. what are you finding out?

>> new information tonight on influences that tamerlan tsarnaev had that may have made him veer toward radical islam. relatives are describing a shadowy figure who they say held sway over him in recent years. family members now describe a mysterious man who they say had a mezmerizing influence on tamerlan tsarnaev. they only know him as misha and say they don't know his full name. here is how the suspect's uncle described the man and his influence on the older brother in an interview with cnn. >> there is a person sort of some new convert into islam of armenian descent. i said this person took his brain, just brain washed him completely. tamerlan is off now. that concerned me big time. unbelievably. >> reporter: more pieces fit together in a telephone interview wolf blitzer did with the ex-brother-in-law of the two suspects. he said he had met misha twice,

been introduced to him by tamerlan. he said he didn't witness misha actually turning tamerlan into a radical islamist but -- >> but he surely did have influence and did teach him things that would make tamerlan go away from the people and go more into the religion and maybe that is possible that he suggested to him some radical ideas. >> he said tamerlan tsarnaev had told him he'd quit boxing and listening to main stream music because misha taught him in islam it's not good to do those things. asked if he suspected that misha was connected to any terrorist groups -- >> i didn't suspect either him or tamerlan being connected to terror groups or having terrorist ideas. but i know that they had a lot of conversations about just, you know, islam and how islam is

being attacked from the outside, you know, from the western countries and how islam is under pressure. >> asked when tamerlan became a more devout muslim the ex-brother-in-law and uncle both say they noticed it about four years ago. we searched for misha using the internet, search data base and social media cross referencing his name with descriptions of it. one name did come up. we scoured matching addresses in the boston area. phone numbers and e-mails. we couldn't find him so we're not mentioning his name. has misha ever been connected with the islamic society of boston, the mosque the two suspects attended? i put that question to this mosque spokesman. is there such a person in this congregation, and do you think there could be anything to that? >> not to our knowledge. not to our nornlgs no. >> reporter: and another mosque official told me, quote, we are looking for him, too. they say they want to find this

misha person as much as anyone else right now, wolf. >> tamerlan, the older brother, he is still what, not been buried. >> right. >> and you're speaking to imams and other religious leaders who feel uncomfortable participating in a formal, religious burial for this guy? >> we spoke to people at the islamic society of boston where he attended and asked whether they had been contacted by the family to make arrangements for burial. they say this afternoon no they have not. i asked when they contact you will you hold a funeral service for him? one mosque official said yes we will. we have an obligation to do that. we don't have ex-communication in islam. it is our obligation. but the person did throw in a caveat saying the elders, the senior imams are not comfortable with doing it so it may be a lay person who does it. >> under muslim religious law you are supposed to bury someone who dies immediately as quickly as possible. >> that's right. >> that hasn't happened yet all these days later. >> right. >> thanks very much.

up next we're getting new information on the extraordinary and tight security over at the hospital where the wounded suspect is being held. we're also digging into that 2011 triple murder here in massachusetts in which the victims had their throats slashed including one of tamerlan tsarnaev's best friends.

welcome back. i'm wolf blitzer reporting from boston. we're learning more about tight security surrounding the wounded suspect here in boston. cnn's ashleigh banfield is joining us now. ashleigh, you're over at the hospital. you have new details about what is going on over there at beth israel deaconess medical center. share with our viewers. >> reporter: wolf, i've spoken

with three people who work at this hospital who all have the same essential descriptions of the extraordinary security situation surrounding this very high value detainee you might call him. as dzhokhar tsarnaev tries to recover and is in fair condition in this hospital there is an entire unit, whole icu shut off and even visitors who have friends or patients nearby are told they have to go up and around and over to get to where they need to go. it's on a higher floor and i do know that the number of the floor but because of the security situation i prefer not to broadcast that. it is on a higher floor in one of the buildings here in the complex at this hospital behind me. there are no fewer than about six federal marshals on hand as well as the actual hospital police force that's here. a number of officers. one of the people i spoke with that has actually been in the presence of the suspect in this case, the defendant now, dzhokhar tsarnaev, has said he doesn't look good.

he is still unable to speak. he believes that based on the conversations with all the authorities who are openly discussing the situation in this very closed secure environment he is possibly able to write though he didn't witness it himself. it is a remarkable scene that surrounds this person in particular as they continue to talk about how to transfer him potentially in the next few days according to the district attorney. i also want to tell you that person said to me they cannot wait to get him out of here although some people have said that it's business as usual they don't notice the difference at the hospital. clearly, in that particular area, it is quite remarkable. >> ashleigh, i know you're also digging into that 2011 triple murder here in massachusetts in which one of tamerlan tsarnaev's best friends died. a new investigation apparently has been reopened. what are you learning? >> well, it is so interesting. there is different nomenclature when talking about these things.

a cold case, murder case never closes especially one that has absolutely no leads that they've been making public to suspects. it is not a closed case, not a reopened case but it is a reinvigorated case without question. i can tell you first hand from the sister of one of those murder victims she tells me she has been in touch not only with the detectives, with the actual local police detachment that originally investigated the case. those detectives are still on that case. she's also been meeting with the middlesex district attorney's office and has another meeting scheduled for next week. just so you know what the district attorney is up against not only in the triple homicide they think may now be connected to tamerlan tsarnaev because of the close connection and friendship he may have had. this is also, wolf, the district attorney's office that needs to process the crime scene from last week where those officers in attempti ining to take down two suspects were shot at, endured a hail of ordnance and explosives and i.e.d.s and ultimately the next day the

suspect was captured and brought here to this hospital. so it is a remarkable amount of criminal activity they need to process. i can tell you first hand from a conversation i just had within the hour of a source very close to the middlesex district attorney's office there may be a conflict of opinions brewing as to who is going to handle this. there is the da and assistant das that would very much like to handle these crimes and prosecute them locally and there is the u.s. attorney's office that is also in very deep conversations with this d.a. over the kinds of crimes they would like to prosecute. the first day on the job for the d.a. in middlesex was yesterday. she was sworn in at 1:00 p.m. in the afternoon. she has a lot of work ahead of her. clearly they have to establish who is going to handle these crimes but there is no need to rush over here and read any kind of miranda rights or arraignment for a local crime here at this hospital because that young man is not going anywhere and there is no federal statute of

limitations or state statute of limitations with regard to murder. they have all the time in the world they want if they want to prosecute him for any kind of murder in the neighboring county, wolf. >> and security is very, very tight over there at the beth israel deaconess medical center. ashleigh, thanks very much. coming up, he is only a couple doors down from one of the bombing sites and he took in victims just after the blasts occurred. ahead, my interview with a restaurant manager struggling to get his business back up and running. plus, a dancer wounded in the blast now faced with the challenge of dancing without her left foot. >> i have moments where i just throw water bottles across the room and throw my walker and get angry and mad that someone did this to me. [ indistinct shouting ]

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. as investigators focus on the older bombing suspect's visits to russia u.s. authorities are taking heat for not necessarily monitoring as closely as they should his activities after being tipped off by the russian government. cnn crime and justice correspondent joe johns has new information on this part of the story. what are you learning? >> reporter: we've now learned the russians told the u.s. about tamerlan tsarnaev twice. first they told the fbi early in 2011 and late the same year a government source tells cnn they also told the central intelligence agency, too, the cia. now the question is, what did the government do about it? when tamerlan tsarnaev left the u.s. for russia in january, 2012, the department of homeland security took note.

his name was included in the customs and border protection system which is supposed to detect unusual or suspicious travel. it was there because the now dead boston bomber was also included in the fbi's enormous terrorism screening data base. 500,000 names of known or suspected terrorists. he was also on the national counterterrorism center's terrorist identity's data mart environment similar to the fbi list and updated several times a day with much more specific information. his departure was communicated to the joint terrorism task force in boston. so how is it that three government agencies knew about tsarnaev but he got such freedom to travel? intelligence and law enforcement officials tell cnn tsarnaev was included because in march of 2011 at the prompting of the russians an investigation was opened into possible ties with islamic extremists. but three months later, having interviewed him, his family, and looking at some of his online

activities, the u.s. did not see a threat and cleared him. >> the fbi took action in response to that notification, investigated the elder brother, and investigated thoroughly and came to the conclusion there was no derogatory information, no indication of terrorist activity or associations either foreign or domestic at that time. >> reporter: that is the reason tsarnaev's name was not placed on any u.s. watch list that could have actually stopped him from flying when he left the u.s. for russia and returned last year. authorities said tsarnaev wouldn't have been deemed suspicious because he was supposed to be traveling to russia to see his family. by the time he returned, he was cleared by the fbi and the system was no longer required to notify about his travels. the takeaway question was how tsarnaev was able to return to the u.s. from russia without arousing suspicion. law enforcement authorities say he had already been thoroughly checked out and they found no terrorism activities or other

derogatory information and the case was closed even before he returned to the country. as for the russians, that information they provided to the cia late in 2011 we're told was no different than what had already been investigated by the fbi earlier in the year. wolf? >> more investigation on this part of the story is going on right now. joe, thanks very much. just over a week ago it was the scene of a bloody carnage in the chaos of the deadly bombings. today boyleston street is open once again. take a look at a live picture. there it is. you see a lot of activity there. it is truly an amazing sight. i had the chance to see it all first hand. a street that's been eerily quiet since the awful day bursts back to life today. thousands of people crowded boyleston street, the scene of both bombings. this is where the damage was done. people have now gathered to just

reflect and think about how this city has changed. >> a lot of my friends and family were affected by it and it is still really hard to wrap my head around the fact that this happened here especially. but i just thought it would be necessary to, you know -- >> why did you decide to come here today? >> oh, we had to. >> why? >> to support the businesses and to feel some camaraderie with everyone. >> most shops and stores are up and running. you're back in business today, ed. first time in a long time. this is the first day you really opened for business here on boyleston street. >> yeah. we've been closed for about nine days now and it's really been tough. you know, from a financial situation, from the terrorist attacks, from employees with families not getting paid.

you know, just dealing with this on a daily basis really been tough. >> a few places still need time to recover. this is right where the bomb went off in front of the forum restaurant. you can see it's still boarded up. doors along boyleston street all bear marks of the methodical investigation after the attacks. during the nine days this whole area was closed it was a crime scene and major investigations were going on. they literally searched every little crevice. you can see the checkmark, explosive ordnance division checked off. fire department checked off. they went in every one of these buildings, floor by floor, room by room to make sure there were no unexploded bombs or any other evidence left behind. while some areas show scars, flowers, notes, gifts, and flags are turning this most famous street in boston into a living

memorial. it was a very, very moving experience for me. i'm sure for everyone who walked up and down boyleston street. you saw the finish line over there for the boston marathons and you know that not far away two bombs exploded, killing three people, injuring more than 250 others, and wreaking such havoc on this entire community. up next an injured dancer comes to terms with losing her foot. >> when i went into the surgery i still thought they could save my foot. i could move my toes. i could feel them touching my toes. >> much more of her candid interview with our own anderson cooper, coming up. also, the elvis impersonator accused of sending ricin laced letters to president obama and others speaking exclusively to our chris cuomo. [ male announcer ] this is bob,

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joining us now the general manager of the restaurant abe and louie's right on boyleston street not far from the bombings. you were there on that day and you haven't been able to reopen the restaurant yet but are in the process of cleaning up and getting it ready. how emotional is this for you? >> it's been a tough day. the week has been hard enough. we've gone through the investigation and helping the police if they needed it and that sort of thing. it's tough on our employees not to be at work. everybody is ready to get back to normal. >> it's going to take a while. i was over at your place today. it's a great place. looking forward to eating there one of these days. remind us of where you were on that monday at the end of the boston marathon when, boom, boom. the two bombs went off. >> sure. we had a full house. we had a great party going, about 400 people in the building. we heard the first bomb and i think a lot of people described it kind of like a cannon. i was in the back of the restaurant at the time and heard

the first one and you kind of shrugged your shoulders and thought it was strange and then heard the second one and then immediately tried to start getting our folks out of the building. it was time. >> they left through the back. >> yes. >> you got them all out. everybody inside the 400 guests you had. >> yes. >> all got out. >> employees and everybody was safe. >> what did you do? you were the general manager. did you flee? did you check out what was going on? >> we made sure we got the building empty, made sure we helped people we could help. we made sure our staff was safe, our guests were safe was the biggest thing we were concerned about. >> i walked up and down boyleston street today and so many people were coming from all over not only boston but all over the country and whoever was here wanted to see it. i guess the question is will boyleston street based on what happened ever be the same? >> you know, i was pleasantly surprised to see how many people were here today. it's been refreshing. we've had so many phone calls of people asking when we'll be open, you know, asking what's going on in the street. people just walking by and you saw it today. it was just incredible.

sort of the strength of the community. >> and boston strong. these people were great and they wanted to be there even though several of them said to me, you know, i got to look out a little bit. i was a little worried. my mom said i shouldn't come. you're getting a little bit of that, right? >> for sure. this community, the people that have grown up here, you know, they're a strong sort. they want to get back to work. they want to support all these businesses on boyleston street. >> what is your message to the folks in the united states and around the world who are watching you a bostonian watching right now? what do you want to let them know about your city? >> it's just absolutely a gorgeous city. it's filled with history, filled with wonderful people, hospitable people that want to take care of them, want to come here and see all the history and things we have to offer. >> you have a great place and restaurant. thanks very much and good luck to you, tim and all the folks here in boston. >> thank you very much. appreciate it. just ahead you'll hear the vice president of the united states joe biden speaking eloquently from personal experience about loss and grief at a memorial for a murdered

massachusetts police officer. also you'll hear from an incredibly brave and determined bombing survivor. a dance teacher who lost a leg. she is now telling how she crawled to safety. >> i looked at a couple people and looked up and said can you help me? i was covered in blood. a couple people were just in a state of shock and just lifted me like oh, my gosh and ran the other direction. it's lots of things. all waking up. ♪ becoming part of the global phenomenon we call the internet of everything. ♪ trees will talk to networks will talk to scientists about climate change. cars will talk to road sensors will talk to stoplights about traffic efficiency. the ambulance will talk to patient records will talk to doctors about saving lives. it's going to be amazing. and exciting.

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as investigators learn more about the suspects in these horrific bombings here in boston cnn's anderson cooper has been talking to an unbelievably brave

survivor. this dancer lost her left leg below the knee when the bomb went off and her husband also was injured. listen to how she saved herself by crawling for help. >> i crawled on my elbows to try and get into one of the nearest businesses. i believe it was forum. i could be wrong on the name. and i looked at a couple people and looked up and said can you help me? i was covered in blood and a couple people looked at me in a state of shock and said oh, my gosh and ran the other direction. i don't believe they were ill intended. i just think they were in shock. i grabbed the door open with my elbow and crawled into forum dragging blood and a couple people for help and finally received it. >> how long were you there for? >> we were there it seems like forever. >> the timing could have flown.

my guess would have been five to ten minutes. >> maybe ten to 15. it is hard to tell when it seems like it crawls by. we definitely had people there and i kept saying tighter and tighter. the pain was unbearable. i was asking for whiskey. i was yelling at people asking for whiskey or vodka because we were in a bar. >> is that the real reason you crawled into a bar? >> yes. i just thought may as well get a drink now. >> did people bring you whiskey? >> no they didn't. i thought, you know, this is going to be a long process. i knew that there were bombs going off. i didn't know if there were more -- i didn't hear them but i wasn't paying attention. i didn't know if there were more. i thought i'm going to be here forever. we're going to be here hurt forever and losing all this blood because it was the middle of the marathon. there were bombs going off probably hundreds of thousands of people hurt and i didn't think that they would get to us as fast as they did. before we knew it a doctor came pushing his way through the crowd dressed in civilian

clothes and said i am a doctor and he immediately tied the turniquets tight enough so i lost feeling in my leg which i was thankful for. >> that probably saved you. >> it probably did. i would love to find those guys that were there that helped. i'm thankful to adam for helping obviously. i thanked him a lot but i'd love to find those other people that i can say thank you to as well. >> do you know who they were? >> no. not sure. just good samaritans. >> at what point -- i know your mom came, your mom and dad. >> yeah. >> and you woke up. >> yeah. >> the next day. >> they were there the next day when i woke up. when i went into the surgery i still thought they could save my foot. i could move my toes. i could feel them touching my toes. they said wiggle your toe. do you feel your foot? i could still do it. i thought that in my forever optimism and thinking positive i would still have my foot and i woke up and didn't. >> do you still feel the foot? >> i do. not right this second but i do. when i have a sheet over it i can feel that feeling of the

sheet on top of your toes. i still have phantom itch which is weird. you can't scratch it. >> you're determined to dance again then. >> i am. >> what is your favorite dance? >> that's hard to say. that's like saying what your favorite song is. it's like, on sunday mornings i want like a waltz or fox trot or something slower but on saturday nights like a cha cha or mambo. depends. i do them all. >> what is the first dance you want to do? >> vienese waltz. one of the tougher ones but fast and beautiful and a wonderful, wonderful dance. >> what a wonderful, wonderful young woman indeed. thanks so much for the inspiration. coming up at the top of the hour we'll take you to the violent region of dagestan in russia. we'll retrace the steps of the bombing suspect during a six-month visit to russia last year.

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are working around the clock to try to determine who sent ricin-laced letters to president obama and other officials just one day after charges were dropped against the suspect that was in custody. the former suspect, paul curtis, spoke exclusively with our chris cuomo just a little while ago. >> is there any connection between you and what was done with these ricin letters? any at all?

>> none whatsoever, sir. >> in your understanding, christie mccoy, are investigators completely free of your client as someone who's implicated in this situation? because they have not given clear word. what is your understanding? >> that is absolutely my understanding, chris. we are, in fact, i spoke with someone this morning involved in the investigation with the prosecutors, and i actually had made arrangements, i haven't had a chance to speak with kevin about it yet, that we're actually ready to assist them in as far as what we know, what kevin knows, if there's anything that absolutely, even though they may not have publicly said that, i think that they realize what we have known all along, is that kevin was in absolutely no way connected with these letters. >> when they came to you, what was the explanation for why they believed that you were the man?

why did investigators believe it was you? >> well, when they came to me, and i was arrested, it happened really fast. like a scene out of a movie. they didn't explain anything. they just kept saying, you know what you've done. and don't move. don't resist. and i just had to set my coat down. they allowed m eto do that. you talk about homeland security, secret service, fbi, so many vehicles in my neighborhood, i've never seen anything like it. it was like shock, is the best way i could explain it. >> how intense did it get in there with the investigators? what were they doing to you and saying to you? >> well, they were nice. the homeland security officer, the capitol police lady from washington, and a gentleman from the fbi -- do i mention any names? i think it was officer grant, agent grant. very respectful.

there was only one individual in that room that was agitated with me, and he was shaking and very nervous. i think he knew that, you know, we don't have enough on this guy, i don't want to compromise my job, i've got a job to do. but i think he had been in it long enough over the years that he felt some form of incertainty. they intensely interrogated me for hours. it was nerve-racking. i can't explain, like the inside nerves were going to come out of my ear. >> one thing he was told, that quite frankly, that upset me just a little bit, but he was told by agent grant that there was a young woman in the hospital at that very moment who was probably going to die from her exposure to ricin. and that they needed to know right that minute what was in the ricin, so that they could save her life. that was just untrue. >> how did they explain to you that you were going to be

released? and what did they say to you when they were releasing you at that time, initially? what did they tell you? >> no one in the system told me anything regarding being released. all i got on the inside was, man, you're in trouble. you tried to kill the president. when i got to christie, on the day it was dismissed, i walked up to a screen window and she just put her hand up to it, and when she did that, i just knew it looked good. and she said, just hold on. we don't have all the information, there's been a turn of events, and looks like we're going to get you out of here today. and this will be dismissed. >> the investigation obviously continues, thanks to chris cuomo for that interview. just ahead at the top of the hour, we're taking you to the violent region to russia, we're retracing the steps of the bombing suspect during a six-month stay there last year.

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wolf, more than 80 people are dead and hundreds injured after a collapse in bangladesh. authorities say many more could still be trapped inside. a government official says the structure wars not built in compliance with safety regulations and that legal action will be taken. a chilling new glimpse at the power of that deadly texas plant explosion. at the center of the devastation, a crater nearly 100 feet wide and 10 feet deep, investigators are working to determine what caused that blast that killed 14 people, including 9 first responders, and injured hundreds of others. they now say it was not sparked by natural causes. tomorrow, all five living presidents will gather for the unveiling and dedication of former president george w. bush's presidential library in dallas, texas. a poll shows american's view of the former president has improved. 42% say it was a success, that is up 11 points since january of

2009. be sure to tune in to anderson cooper 360 tonight at 10:00 eastern, the former president weighs in on the boston bombing and life after the white house. lisa, thanks very much. happening now, we're retracing the steps of tamerlan tsarnaev during the boston bombing suspect's mysterious trip last year to russia. who did he talk to? where did he go? cnn is there on the ground. we're looking for answers. plus, a new claim that the tsarnaev brothers did not act alone. stand by for m i exclusive interview with their former brother-in-law. and there are crowds again on boylston street right near the bombing site. people are telling me what they've lost and how their city has changed. i'm wolf blitzer in boston. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. the world. you're in t"the situation room."

-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com a potentially critical interrogation today in the boston terror attacks. we're told that u.s. and russian officials grilled the suspects' parents all day, into the night. a delegation of fbi agents, traveled to dagestan, southern russia, where the tsarnaev brothers' parents both live. cnn is there as well, investigating tamerlan tsarnaev's visit last year and whether it may have been a turning point on his alleged path to becoming a terrorist. here's cnn's center international correspondent, nic robertson. >> reporter: for some of the time he was here, tamerlan tsarnaev lived here with his parents. every day he would come out and walk down these steps, onto the street here. population about half a million. it looks and feels quiet,

perfectly ordinary, very quiet neighborhood. the mountains on one side of the city and the other the sea. the city is anything but quiet. right here in may 2012, when tamerlan was here, two suicide bombers attacked a police checkpoint. 12 people killed. civilians and police. more than 90 wounded. even today, the attacks continue, gun and bomber attacks against security services. islamist rebels like this man whose video tamerlan posted on his own website, vowed to attack russian forces. so the did he come here for? it's easy to imagine in a city this size that someone can slip away for a couple of hours, or a couple of days, and meet with people. if he did, who did he meet with? where did they go? what did they talk about? we've been following in his footsteps. this is the where tamerlan reportedly came to pray.

they'll all tell you he has a radical reputation. most muslims in this city avoid it. within minutes of our arrival, this spotted. he tells us they practice pure islam. thousands of young people attend. why would he choose this place as opposed to any other one? it's clear they don't want us snooping around. next, i tried a store outside number 50, tamerlan's house. well, the lady in there didn't want to talk to me on camera, but she did say she remembers tamerlan going in for about a month, month and a half last year, he said he didn't buy tobacco, alcohol, that seemed to be in line with his strict religious views. but she also says he didn't go in with any of his friends, so she has no idea what sort of people he was hanging out with. we're not the only ones looking for answers. the fbi has arrived. what we can show you right now

is this building off to my left here. it's a drab, five-story, sort of office type building. it's a security headquarters. right now, we're told that inside there, the fbi are talkingtamerlan's parents. right now much of tamerlan's time in this troubled city still a mystery. nic robertson, cnn, dagestan. >> nic is joining us now. nic, i know the fbi spent time on the ground there in dagestan where you are, interviewing both parents who live there. what do we know about this question-and-answer session? >> wolf, we know very little about it. the security around the fsb headquarters is tight. the very fact you're not allowed to film it kind of gives a strong indication on the ground that they want to keep the information going on inside

close at hand. we do know that on tuesday evening, the mother was interviewed alone, the father was supposed to be interviewed. he was ill. they were both interviewed through today inside the building. you know, we should expect there also should be something of a two-way street. obviously the parents will be interested in tamerlan's funeral, the arrangements for that, could they go, should they go, what are perhaps the legal implications if they go to the united states, a move off of russian soil, if you will. but the actual details of what the fbi asked them, we don't know. but it's also likely the fbi will want to talk as well to the fsb to get information from them as well, share information about what they knew about tamerlan as well, wolf. >> lots and lots of unanswered questions. nic robertson on the ground in dagestan for us. we'll stay in close touch. we're also learning more about another apparent influence on

tamerlan tsarnaev, the mysterious man named mischa. a convert to islam who lived in cambridge, right here outside of boston. the suspects' uncle told cnn that his nephew was, quote, brainwashed by mischa. i asked another insider about that in an exclusive interview. it's the former brother-in-law of the suspects, and i spoke with him. he spoke with me from kazakhstan. what can you tell us about mischa, and supposedly his influence over the older brother? >> well, first of all, allow me to express my condolences to all of those who lost their loved ones, when this happened, and yes, i met mischa. and, well, it seemed to me that he, mischa, had influence on

tamerlan. >> do you believe he inspired the older brother to become a radical muslim? >> i'm not sure if he inspired, or taught him to be radical islamist, but he surely did have influence and did teach him things to have tamerlan go away from the people, and go more into the religion. and maybe, maybe that's possible that he suggested to him some radical ideas. but i wouldn't say that -- i mean, i didn't witness him making him radical. or, you know, i didn't witness him say anything. i just know what tamerlan told me, that he quit boxing, and music, because mischa was, you know, teaching him that it's not good in islam to do those things.

>> what was misha's last name? do you know his full name? >> no, i don't know his full name. i only met him twice. and it was just what tamerlan told me, this is misha, this is my friend, an armenian who converted to islam, and he lived for a while in the u.s. now. that's pretty much it. i heard them speak to each other, but i didn't listen to misha's words too much, because i don't really like talking about religion so much. >> did you ever suspect that mi]sha was connected to -- directly to any terror groups? >> i didn't suspect either him or tamerlan being connected to terror groups, or having terrorist ideas. but i know that they had a lot of conversations about just, you

know, islam and how islam is being attacked from the outside, you know, from the western countries, and how islam is under pressure. but i never heard them speak of doing -- having terrorist attack ideas. >> when did you notice a change in tamerlan? when did you see him becoming more religious, more devout, if you will? >> that was when he was 22. 21, 22. he just graduated from high school, and he didn't get into college right away. so he was having, i guess, difficulties finding himself. and then he started being interested in, not just

religion, not just islam, but he also read other philosophers, and he read confucius, and gandhi. and of course, he came closer to islam, because that's his background. that's what his family believes in, i guess. that is why islam was his choice, at first. but then, yeah, he started changing. he started changing towards being somewhat radical, yeah. he would always support ideas of, you know, being -- you know, pray five times a day. he was going to the mosque regularly. started doing it when he was about 22, 23 maybe. and, you know, he would always try to protect many

conversations, he would try to protect his ideas, and defend islam. and maybe even sometimes defend, you know, people in other countries, like i guess afghanistan that, yeah, they were invaded for no reason. something like that. >> stand by for more of my interview with the suspect's former brother-in-law. he believes the 19-year-old, dzhokhar tsarnaev, was a good kid who was obeying orders. now to the people here in boston, who are recovering and rebuilding, of the 264 people wounded in the bombings, 39 of them remain in the hospital. still too many. but some progress unfolding. also today, the area around the bomb site is reopened for business. it's a huge step toward trying to get this city back to normal. cnn's deborah feyerick has been in the middle of it all. she's joining us now.

how is it going over there, deb? >> wolf, it's so interesting, a lot of the people -- all of the people here are looking at a small memorial. i want to show you this area in particular, because this is where evidence response teams were working. this is a brand-new cement. you have to remember, those forensic experts removed a lot of evidence from this particular location. this is where they believe the bomb went off. you can see the impact of it. again, a circle around a memorial. but up there, the windows that were blasted out on both sides. just the impact, the sheer force of all of this. this entire street had been closed, as the agents worked to make sure that they got every single piece of evidence they could. they even had street sweepers come in. now you see a lot of the people here, and they're taking pictures. if we can just come around here, so we can see -- somebody left their medal. a lot of flowers. this is a much smaller one. this is where one of the two women lost their lives, and dozens others were injured.

some of the stores, we spoke to one store manager, wolf, and he said they had to clean out their entire store, their entire stock, because some of those who were injured, they actually went into the store to be triaged. so again, just feeling this sort of come back to normal. the one thing you have to remember, this really is a hallowed spot where people lost their lives, they lost their limbs. but the message everybody has is that we remember, we will not forget and we're in this together. wolf? >> debra feyerick on boylston street which has now been reopened. thanks for that. still ahead, the bomb suspects' plans for after the attack. the shocking trip that may actually have been in the works. new information coming in. and stand by for more of my exclusive interview with the suspects' former brother-in-law. he sounds convinced that somebody besides the two brothers may have been directly involved in the bombing. that's coming up. [ washer and dryer sounds ]

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let's get back to my exclusive interview now with the former brother-in-law of the boston bombing suspects. he tells me he thinks they had help in planning the attacks here in boston. he's also backing up dzhokhar tsarnaev's claims that he was influenced by his older dead brother tamerlan. when we spoke to him, he was in kazakhstan. i was here in boston. i asked him what he can tell me about the 19-year-old dzhokhar. >> he was a really calm guy. and, you know, to me he was the little brother of my friend. and he was -- there was never a suspicion that he would be doing something wrong. he seemed really smart. he was getting good grades at school. and he would always listen to his parents. not like tamerlan, who would

occasionally stand up and speak his own ideas. but dzhokhar would be more humble, would be more patient. and he was nice. he was smiling. and he didn't seem like he had been depressed ever, or unhappy with anything. and honestly, to me, it seemed that maybe he got under the influence of his older brother. >> do you believe he was brainwashed by his older brother? >> i believe he was just maybe obeying him, because he's the older brother. and yes, i know that they all loved tamerlan. they all admired him. his younger sisters, and the brother as well, dzhokhar, really thought of tamerlan as the role model.

and i believe that he didn't question much. i believe that he didn't put any suspicion on -- or didn't put any questions at all on what tamerlan was doing. he did what tame ler lan said, because he respected him. >> what did you think when you heard the two brothers were the suspects in the marathon bombing attacks? >> they opened up the news online, and i saw the picture of suspect number one killed and the picture of tamerlan. and yes, i recognized him right away. i was shocked. i jumped up and said, oh, my god, this is not happening. and i was hoping it was a mistake. but then i read the names. and i realized that it's happening. and it's true. >> have you been interviewed by the fbi?

>> no. never. >> and if they ask for your -- if they wanted to get your thoughts on what was going on, would you be open to helping the u.s. investigation into the bombings? >> absolutely. i think anyone in our family would be willing to help, to find out what really happened, what really went on in his head, or who helped him, if there is anyone who helped him. >> bottom line, elmirsa, do you believe the allegations against these two brothers are true, that they planted these two bombs that killed three people, injured more than 250 other people? do you believe these allegations? >> i believe that dzhokhar admitted it, and only since he did admit it, that's when i started really believing it. i mean, i hoped that they didn't do it. i did hope that they were innocent.

but i believe that in the u.s., the investigations are not blind so much. and i believe that this happened. they were being hunted down for a reason. i was hoping it wasn't them. i was hoping it was a mistake. but since jahar admitted it, or gave his thoughts on it, i now believe it. yes, it's possible. and probably they did it. >> elmirza, what happened here? why did these two brothers go down this path as alleged by federal authorities? how did this happen? two normal guys growing up in the boston area, all of a sudden move in this other direction, if these allegations are true? >> i think that somebody did have influence on the other brother, and the older brother had influence on the younger one.

i don't think that anyone who is mentally normal would be wishing to do something like that to someone else. i just believe people are good in themselves. and knowing tamerlan for a few years, i remember him as a good person, as a good friend. but he was searching for religion. and i believe that someone helped him -- directed him in the wrong direction. so i think it lies somewhere nearby in america, in boston. i believe there are people who -- if they didn't make him, at least they planted maybe the idea to him that he could do such a thing. and i'm not saying it's not his

fault. i'm saying that i hope that he wasn't, you know, the only one. i hope that there are other people who are still trying, and you can still question, that we can still maybe stop, if they're planning something else. but with regards to dzhokhar, i really believe that he's not -- i'm not saying he's innocent, but i believe that he was under the influence of his older brother. and he was not realizing what he was doing. he was too young. he's just 19 now. and for a guy, that's just the starting point in life. and probably his life is ruined now, but i still hope that he will seek forgiveness from those who he hurt. and how the people will find strength and maybe forgive him.

>> my interview with the suspect's former brother-in-law. he was in kazakhstan when i spoke with him. it's an online al qaeda magazine devoted to terror. was it also a how-to manual for the boston bomb suspects? stay with us. very logical thinker. (laughs) i'm telling you right now, the girl back at home would absolutely not have taken a zip line in the jungle. (screams) i'm really glad that girl stayed at home. vo: expedia helps 30 million travelers a month find what they're looking for. one traveler at a time. expedia. find yours.

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happening now, a scarred but strong city comes back to life. a man tells me about surviving the terror and financial struggles he faces now. plus, a possible inspiration for

the marathon attack. new evidence that the suspects read al qaeda's online magazine, that included the instructions on making bombs. and before the bombings, it turns out that the tsarnaev brothers were getting financial help, get this, from u.s. taxpayers. i'm wolf blitzer in boston. you're in "the situation room." a sad reminder of the bomb attacks, but as we saw earlier today, boston's famed boylston street is back open, and within a somber memorial. brooke, tell our viewers what you're seeing. >> yeah, wolf, we're just across the street from you. i tell you, what a difference a week and a half has made. this is back open.

this is boylston street, the crime scene, now it is back open. people getting off work, wanting to come down to the site. there was a make shift memorial at the head of the street. and now people are signing. people from boston, people from around the world have been here all day. i tell you, i was here this morning, and this whole sheet was blank. now you can see it is full of messages. thoughts and prayers to those affected. we're not only strong, we're strong enough to heal. we're boston strong. tom, walk with me, and i'll walk you around and you can see candles here. these barricades from the marathon, they brought them all in for the memorial site. something i noticed, all of these different tennis shoes, i don't know if you can see over these folks watching, we saw dr. jill biden here today, she brought a pair of running shoes. the running shoes symbolic on one who someone scribbled, never forget. something i wanted to show you,

wolf, through the flowers, through the signs, stay strong boston, through all the t-shirts, finally here, i noticed -- excuse me -- a couple of baseballs. these baseballs, you see, stay brave. this is for 8-year-old martin richard. he loved his t ball. different reminders of the three young victims whose lives were lost up the street here on boylston. wolf, you were here. i talked to a woman who got her medal today from the marathon, who was one of those who didn't quite finish. they talk about just coming here, almost not believing it, watching the coverage on television, needing to see it with their own eyes, pay their own respects. and finally begin the healing process, wolf. here it is. in the middle of boylston street. >> i was there with you. it was so moving just to be at that memorial. and just to walk up and down

bo boylston street to see where the two bombs went off. and to see people coming from all over. they just want to express their solidarity and see this city come back to life. it was really inspiring to me as well. all right, brooke, you'll come back later this hour. stand by. i spoke to a business owner on boylston street. he's had a business there for more than three decades. listen to this. and you're back in business today, first time in a long time. this is the first day you're really open for business here on boylston street. >> we've been closed for about nine days now. it's really been tough. from a financial situation, from the terrorist attacks, from employees with families not getting paid. you know, just dealing with this on a daily basis it's really been tough. the federal government has come in and the mayor's office has

helped us. everybody's been wonderful. but the bottom line is, financially, it's been tough. boylston street's buzzing. >> i can see it's packed today. right down the next block, in front of the forum restaurant, a bomb went off. it's hard to believe, think about how many years you've been working here on boylston street? >> we've been here 35 years, right here at this location. and it's the first time i can ever remember anything vaguely -- i mean, nothing, you know. >> maybe a robbery or something like that, but nothing like this. >> no. this was insane. this was a terrorist attack. you know, right out in front of us, people had gotten hit. i was very lucky. i came down the stairs with my son right before the bomb. and i was going to ask him to go to the mailbox and mail some letters. and he said to me, dad, can we get out of here? he had someplace to go. and i said, okay. and we turned this way going right. and had we said okay, we're

going to go mail them, he would have gotten hit with the second bomb. i count my blessings. but it's just a horrible feeling. and, you know, boylston street's very busy. people are here. people are going back. the terrorists did not win. >> were you here when the bomb went off? did you hear that bomb go off? >> we were just right down here. about 30 yards from where the first bomb went off. we looked up, and we still didn't know what it was. before we could figure it out -- and then the second bomb went off. it shook us. the next thing i know, we're running in terror. it reminded me of the films of 9/11. and we thought they were gunshots. we thought people were shooting guns. it was just crazy. and in my store here at sir

speedy, there were still some employees here. they were bringing people in off the street, and bringing them to the back of the building because they thought maybe the bombs were still happening. >> so you saw people who were wounded? >> i didn't personally see them because i was down here at the corner. but my people did see people that got hit in the ambulances, lined up right out here, as they were treating the people. >> now, will there be some compensation? nine days, no business. is there going to be -- i know there's compensation for the victims and their families, people who have been injured and dead. but what about the businesses that suffered? >> well, the mayor's office actually came in here again today. they've been tremendous. they're trying to get federal assistance. and they said that the government is making this a federal disaster. and they're trying to get federal assistance for a lot of the businesses. there are a lot of businesses on the street hurting right now. i mean, this city is probably one of the greatest cities in the world to be in. i've got to tell you, the people

care here. that's why i said the terrorists will never win, because you know what, we're too strong. i've got a sign up here that says boston strong. the bottom line is, we are. we've got our red sox and bruins and celtics. we've got the people, too. >> i can confirm that boston is strong. thanks so much. >> thank you, wolf. >> good luck to you. >> appreciate it. >> good luck to you, your employees, your family. good luck to everyone in boston. >> thank you. >> i want to thank ed borash for that interview. up next, is tamerlan tsarnaev's widow opening up to investigators? what we're learning about that. that's coming up. those hands. oooh la la! what's your secret? dawn? [ female announcer ] dawn hand renewal with olay beauty improves the look and feel of hands in 5 uses. love it, or get double your money back. [ male announcer ] the first look is only the beginning. ♪ ♪

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investigators are trying to find out if the boston bombers took advantage of an al qaeda how-to manual for building bombs. barbara starr is looking into that. >> reporter: how did the tsarnaev brothers learn to make

the bombs that the government said they used to attack the boston marathon? this magazine called inspire is one possibility the fbi is looking at. >> there is very clear indication that they reviewed and inspired. >> members of congress and other things, it gives notices, how you can make bombs. >> reporter: this 2010 inspire article, make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom, has been downloaded around the world. inspire printed in english worries counterterrorism officials for its appeal to individuals living in the west. an american cleric was a driving force behind it, until a u.s. drone strike killed him in 2011. >> there are a number of striking similarities between the devices described in the criminal complaint and the boston incident, and the

magazine. >> reporter: similarities like the use of pressure cookers, bb pellets and nails inside the bomb, set within an adhesive material similar to what inspire calls for. an explosive powder was used in boston. inspire suggests the same elements. >> another issue of inspire that recently came out, included will advice about how to launch a successful attack in the west, and advised to launch an attack against a sporting event, in a crowded space. >> reporter: cnn showed a pressure cooker bomb. >> we are now over a quarter of a mile away from where we left that pressure cooker. but that's still not far enough to avoid flying shrapnel. so we're watching from inside a bunker. >> two, one -- >> wow. >> now, a senior u.s. official tells cnn, investigators still

must determine if the men may have looked at other websites to learn additional information about bomb making, any number of websites, and they, of course, want to know, still, did anyone help them, and who sold them the bomb-making materials. wolf? >> important questions indeed. barbara, thanks very, very much. we're just getting this important information here. the parents of the two boston bombing suspects, tamerlan and dzhokhar tsarnaev, the parents are now supposedly going to be flying to the united states tomorrow. that's thursday. the russian state news agency is quoting the father as saying this today, the parents have supposedly agreed to assist u.s. authorities in the investigation into the bombings. a police source said all of this, according to this russian news agency, we're getting more

information. but right now, we're being told, and this just in, the parents, the mother and father of these two suspects, will be flying to the united states on thursday. that would be tomorrow. up next, the financial help that the tsarnaev brothers got from the american taxpayers. and tonight, don't forget 10:00 p.m. on anderson cooper "360," the former president george w. bush weighs in on the boston bombings. also weighing in on life after the presidency. ur... blood type? a or b positive?? have you eaten today? i had some lebanese food for lunch. i love the lebanese. i... i'm not sure. enough of the formalities... lets get started shall we? jimmy how happy are folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico? happier than dracula volunteering at a blood drive. we have cookies... get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. man: how did i get here? dumb luck?

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welfare for the boston bomb

suspects. massachusetts now says both brothers got benefits as children from taxpayers, and indeed as recently as last year. cnn's aaron is in rhode island watching what's going on. aaron, what have we learned about tamerlan tsarnaev receiving public assistance? >> well, wolf, today cnn confirms that tamerlan tsarnaev received public assistance in actually two ways. the department of health and human services gave us a statement earlier today. i'll read part of that to you. both dzhokhar and tamerlan tsarnaev received benefits through their parents when they were younger. tamerlan and his family received benefits through 2012. he had a family with katy russell whose parents live in a house behind me. that family, and their daughter who is now about 2 1/2 years old, wolf. >> and you caught up with a friend of that russell family in rhode island, where you are.

what more are we learning about katherine russell? >> well, actually, wolf, i've talked to a number of people who know the russell family today. and we're hearing the same thing from every one of them, really, that the russell family is a very good family, that katy russell and her younger sister, anna, very artistic, very nice girls. they were very well liked in high school. many of them are very surprised to hear this news, wolf. they think they're just not very -- they're not happy about the attention that this community's getting for this issue, wolf. >> erin on the scene for us in rhode island. thank you. coming up, a disturbing twist in the case. we're watching what's going on as new information that the suspects may have been heading to new york city. what they planned to do there might surprise you. [ female announcer ] what makes you walk a little taller?

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we're now learning that the alleged boston bombers may have planned to travel to new york city after the attacks for what is being described as a party. listen to the new york city police commissioner ray kelly. >> there was some information that they may have been intent to come to new york but not to continue what they were doing. the information that we received said something about a party or having a party. a bit of information that we have that it may have been words to the infect of coeffect of coy in new york. >> our chief political analyst is joining us. i know you've been doing digging

on this story. what are your sources telling you about this? >> well, let's provide context. you'll remember earlier in the week we were reporting that during the carjacking, the person who was carjacked heard the brothers talk. they were talking in a foreign language. didn't understand them. heard the word manhattan. so that kind of rang a bell. whether interrogators then are questioning dzhokhar, one of the questions obviously is, ray kelly is talking about what occurred during this interrogation, one of the questions is, of course, what were you planning to do in new york? and you see what ray kelly said. we also know shthat investigato are looking for this picture that paerd in "the new york post" from 2012 of dzhokhar who was in time square. and they're looking into whether there are other trips to new york by either of these brothers. but my source says so far he

sees nothing conspiracy toral about these visits. >> do authorities, gloria, believe dzhokhar is actually telling them the truth? >> well, one intelligence source i spoke with said that it's way too early. we have heard reports that he was self radicalized. and they're saying, you know what? it's too early to form a conclusion from a hospital bed interrogation. you have to wait and see. but another thing i'm hearing, wolf, are lots of questions that are being raised about just how much information authorities had from the russians and as you've been talking about during the [ç show, whether there should have been more communication with the russians. i was told by somebody looking into this, in fact, that the fbi went back to the russians and when they asked for more information they did not get it. so we don't know what the russians had originally and we also know that no more was

offered to us when we investigated. >> gloria, thank you for the reporting. we, of course, appreciate it. up next, a final salute to the mit police officer allegedly killed by the bombing suspects. stand by for some very emotional farewells. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] the first look is only the beginning. ♪ ♪

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now an emotional tribute to shawn collier, the mit police officer that was killed last week during the tsarnaev brothers shootout with the police. listen to this. >> we gather today to honor officer shawn collier, a member of our community whose dedication to our protection cost him his life. ♪ >> we are strong. we are collier strong. >> detail! >> on behalf of the men and women of the m.i.t. police department, thank you for being here with us to honor the memory of our fallen brother, sean collier. >> there are those few who were

born to enter the profession. it is a calling, a vocation. it is a desire to do good, help people and tackle the problems of a modern society in a meaningful way. i believe that sean was one of those few. >> people have asked me if sean were here what would he think? are you kidding me? he would love this. sirens, flashing lights, formations, people saluti, bagpipes, "taps," the american flag. he would have loved it. he was born to be a police officer and he lived out of his dreams. [ "taps" playing ] >> we want to thank not only sean's family for their willing to support their brother, their son taking on this work, but all of your husbands and wives,

fathers and mothers and children. we owe you so much more than just honoring you on days of grief and celebration. [ "taps" plays ] >> brooke baldwin is with us today. this is so sad. >> 26 years old. 15 months on the job. we were talking about james taylor, shower the people you love. a lot of tears. >> this is one of those moments that everybody will always remember. >> definitely. so many people you saw, the police supporting their fallen

brother not just from boston but m.i.t. and massachusetts, from across the country there. so a solemn moment as we remember the hash tag says on twitter today, #collierstrong. >> thank you very much for watching. erin burnett "outfront" starts right now. "outfront" next, breaking news. according to the russian news media, the parents of the alleged boston bombers are coming to the united states. what do the investigators want to know? plus, was the u.s. warned about the alleged terrorist by the russians twice? and joe biden weighs in, calls the suspects nabbingoff jihadists. are they the new threats in the war on terror? let's go "outfront." good even